READ: JOHN 1:1-15; 8:12-18; 2 CORINTHIANS 4:6 Vacation time for my family when I was a kid usually involved tents and sleeping bags. We enjoyed the outdoors, and camping helped us stay close to nature—while also saving on hotel costs. As a little kid, I took notice of signs where we camped warning us of [...]

READ: DEUTERONOMY 7:7-8; PSALM 34; ROMANS 8 I twirled the marble beads on my bracelet, cool against my skin. Grey, grey, bright blue. The turquoise color had intricate swirls of sky blue, the result making the bead look like an ever-moving sky. These bracelets reminded us of the love of Ahavah, the love He daily [...]

READ: PSALM 23; PHILIPPIANS 4:11-13; HEBREWS 13:5 Growing up, I participated in a program at my church where I learned Bible stories and memorized Scripture. I remember memorizing Psalm 23 when I was in second grade. However, the words of this psalm didn’t mean nearly as much to me as a seven-year-old as they do [...]

READ: GENESIS 32:24-32; HOSEA 12:3-5; EPHESIANS 4:22-24 When I was an RA (resident assistant) in college, I had this resident who used to tell me she and God had been “wrestling” about something. She would spend entire days with the Lord, crying and repenting, and wrestling with Him about different behaviors and attitudes in her [...]

READ: PROVERBS 25:15; 1 CORINTHIANS 3:5-8; 1 PETER 3:15-16 Have you ever heard of ginseng? It’s a valuable plant used in a lot of health foods. And those who grow ginseng need to have a lot of patience. While many seeds will sprout within a week or two, when you plant ginseng seeds, they can [...]

READ: EXODUS 14:14; 33:22; ISAIAH 42:13; ZEPHANIAH 3:17 "Go to the boulder!” He did not yell over the noise of the battle, but Rhyn heard, and without even having to look for the rock he had sent her to, she knew exactly where to go. So Rhyn ran to it. It wasn’t a very big [...]

READ: JOHN 13:1-17; EPHESIANS 5:1-2 Have you ever seen a child imitating an adult? It can be so cute to watch a small child try to mix pretend food in empty pots, imitate a parent’s expression, or repeat a phrase they haven’t fully mastered yet. That’s how kids learn. They imitate the people they see. [...]

READ: PSALM 103:1-5; REVELATION 21:1-6 When was the last time you had a cold? Maybe you have one right now. They can be so annoying, but the process of healing from a cold can point us to an amazing truth about Jesus. Even though sickness invaded God’s good world when humans chose sin, God created [...]

READ: PSALM 116; LUKE 17:11-19; REVELATION 4:6-11 Have you ever considered how much difference the words “thank you” can make? The Samaritan healed of leprosy in Luke 17 seemed to know the power of these words. While on the way to Jerusalem, Jesus met a group of ten men who were social outcasts because of [...]

READ: PSALM 139; PROVERBS 3:1-6 When you feel like you don’t have a place in this world because you don’t think you’re as talented as others or you aren’t sure what to do with your life, remember that God made you. God doesn’t make mistakes. When He created you, He knew what He was doing. [...]